Georgia's Stafford, Moreno to enter draft

Jan 7, 2009 - 10:22 PM ATHENS, Georgia (Ticker) -- Georgia junior quarterback Matthew Stafford and sophomore tailback Knowshon Moreno are heading for the NFL.

Stafford and Moreno announced on Wednesday they will enter the NFL draft, leaving the Bulldogs without their two best offensive players for next season.

Projected as a possible top pick in the draft, Stafford led the Southeastern Conference in passing while Moreno paced the league in rushing.

"I'm proud of these guys," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "They are two great people and a great representation of our program and a great representation of their families. If all of the guys were like these two, coaching would really be easy. They blessed our program. I hope we blessed them."

Stafford is coming off a junior season in which threw a school-record 25 touchdown passes while passing for 3,549 yards, the second-highest total in Georgia history.

Blessed with a strong arm, the 6-3, 235-pound Stafford threw three touchdown passes in the final 18 minutes of Georgia's 24-12 victory over Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl.

"It was a tough decision for me," Stafford said. "I'm going to go to the NFL and see what that has for me. It's been a lifelong dream for me and something hopefully I will be able to realize this year. It's been an amazing run here. I've had an amazing time at Georgia."

Moreno completed his sophomore campaign with 1,400 yards and 16 TDs, becoming the first Georgia player since Herschel Walker in 1982 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

"It has been my lifelong dream to play in the NFL," Moreno said. "It's been a journey, it's been awesome. Coming to Athens has been like a second home to me. It's been wonderful. The coaches have been there for me with open arms."

Moreno and Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells have been projected as the top two running backs in the draft. Wells, a junior, has not yet announced his intentions.